Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a robot apparatus, a method for controlling the robot apparatus, and a toy for the robot apparatus, which are preferably applicable to an entertainment robot and in which the robot apparatus is capable of identification by image recognition processing and can bark by the mouth, carry an object, and play, and the method relates to control of the robot apparatus.
A “robot” means a mechanical apparatus which makes actions like human actions through electric or magnetic operations. The etymological origin of “robot” is said to be Slavic “ROBOTA (slavery machine)”. In Japan, robots started spreading from the end of 1960's. Most of those robots were industrial robots such as manipulators, conveyor robots, and the like which aimed at automation and unmanned operations in production works in factories.
Recently, studies and developments have been made in the structures and the stable walk control of legged robots, e.g., a pet robot which imitates the body mechanisms of four-legged animals such as a dog, cat, bear, and the like or the motions of them, and a humanoid robot which imitates the body mechanisms of two-legged animals such as apes, human beings, and the like. Expectation of practical use of these robots have been rising. These legged robots are more unstable than crawler-type robots and have difficulties in attitude control and walk control. However, these robots are more excellent because these robots can realize flexible walk and run, e.g., the robots can climb upstairs and uphill.
A fixed robot like a robot arm which is used secured to a specific place works only at a fixed local work space for assembly works and selection works of components. In contrast, work spaces for a mobile robot are not limited but a mobile robot freely moves on a predetermined route or without routes, to substitutively execute predetermined or arbitrary human works or provide various services in place of a human being, dog, or any other creature.
A utility of a legged robot will be substitutive execution of various hard works in industrial and productive activities. For example, substitutive execution of dangerous services and hard works such as maintenance services in atomic power plants, thermal power plants, and petrochemical plants, conveyance and assembly services in manufacturing factories, cleanings of high-rise buildings, rescue in fires or other disasters, etc.
Another utility of a legged robot is a kind of close fit to human life rather than assistant services as described above, i.e., “symbiosis” with human beings or “entertainment”. With high-fidelity, this kind of robot replicates motion mechanisms of a legged animal, such as a human being, dog (or pet), bear, or the like who is relatively intelligent. In addition, this kind of robot is demanded not only to execute patterned motions inputted previously with high fidelity but also to realize expressions of lively responses dynamically to words and attitudes (“praise”, “scolding”, “hit”, etc.) of users (or other robots).
The present applicants disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Publication No. 2001-191280 and other materials a control method for executing a motion in which a robot apparatus having plural legs recognizes a pink ball and goes up to and kicks the ball.
However, the robot apparatus described above cannot hold a ball in its mouth or the like or move or play with a ball held in its mouth although the robot apparatus can move a ball away by kicking or picking the ball. Richer and livelier actions could be expressed if the robot apparatus could lift or carry a toy held in his mouth or roll over holding it.